The Truth (2022)

A Very Different Yet Inventive Variety Show

Very rarely, if ever do I review variety shows. I watched this one solely for LYN and the fact that I like the whodunnit factor. The show's 30 episodes were very well scripted and even when the cast went off script, it was great and funny. I won't rehash the synopsis because it's all there. I enjoyed it very much, from the mysteries themselves, how each character was somehow connected to each of the first 7 mysteries and then the rather twilight zone-ish last three weeks trying to find out who the mole was in the group. I loved how they all came together to solve the crimes and then at the end of each case the legal and psychology professor Dr. Ma was invited to speak about all of the legalities involved in each case from both that and the psychological perspective. It was quite fascinating (for me especially as law is one of my backgrounds and I like to see how other countries function legally). I would totally recommend this show, it's not scary in the slightest. It's fun and funny, with even some tear jerking moments towards the end. The only cons are that the subs are AI-generated and product placement with full speeches happen at least once an episode, otherwise a really great and fun show that I hope returns next year with the same cast; they really have a great connection together.

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Complex Story, Entertaining Cast

I wasn't sure what to expect when initially getting into this show. I gave it a try because I watch a lot of variety shows, and this one has Zhou Shen and Liu Yuning in it. And I wasn't disappointed at all. I loved all the interactions between cast members; there was a lot of great banter between everyone.

The show is partially scripted, but it isn't overly serious about its acting. This made the "bad acting" from the musicians in the cast incredibly funny and entertaining. The guests on the show are mostly actors, and the contrast between skill levels was endearing to watch. It didn't take away from the show in the slightest.

As a general warning: the stories get very complex. This is not something I would recommend watching while sleepy (as I often did). It's worth it to pay attention. It's rewarding to watch everything come together at the end, and I was very satisfied when everything was explained. There were definitely times when it got boring and tedious to watch the cast search an area, and I skipped a minute or two ahead. There were also some "futuristic" elements in the later half of the show that almost turned me off from the story. I wasn't a big fan at first, but it is normalized quickly. Overall, the mysteries were very compelling and the conclusions were worthwhile. (Just a note: I personally found most things logical and well-explained, but I also have the advantage of not having to rely on translations in subtitles. It sounds like the subtitle experience was a bit different.)

This show isn't scary or disturbing. In fact, most of the time I was crying from laughter over the poorly edited "real life photos" that the show used as evidence in mysteries. After each mystery, they brought in an expert to discuss legal and psychological information related to the case. It was mostly interesting, but I did end up skipping over a few segments out of impatience.

I would definitely recommend this show to anyone who likes a good mystery and/or is interested in variety shows :) It's unique for sure.

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